Studies on forensic nursing in Brazil: a systematic review of the literature

To identify and synthesize the national and international literature on forensic nursing in Brazil.

Forensic nursing is a new specialty to the nursing practice in Brazil, being recognized by the Federal Nursing Council of Brazil in 2011. In 2016, the first forensic nursing specialization programme was authorized in the country.

The implementation of forensic nursing specialty in Brazil marks new possibilities for the nursing practice, making it possible for nurses to develop additional skills to intervene in various situations under the Brazilian Unified Healthcare System.

A systematic search of the literature was conducted using the keyword 'Forensic nursing' in combination with 'Brazil'. LILACS, MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus and Web of Science databases were searched. Studies were also retrieved from the grey literature. Once literature had been identified, a thematic analysis was undertaken in order to extract themes, which were: establishment of the forensic nursing specialty and its contributions to Brazil and its practical implications.

Eight manuscripts and 20 studies from the grey literature were included in the final review. Most studies (54%) were literature reviews that indicated forensic nursing as an emerging specialty in Brazil, addressing educational, instructional, communicative or contextual aspects of the specialty in the country.

In the nursing profession in Brazil, few studies exist on forensic nursing and those are limited to short communications. Although most studies address the definition of forensic nursing, others present its implications in various situations such as intimate partner violence, domestic violence, sexual abuse and elder mistreatment.

Despite the study limitations, it provides evidence that forensic nursing has been silently implemented in the country with the need for more evidence-based studies to support its constitution as a specialty in Brazil.